Uncommon Valor

1

Wait a minute.

He ain't dead!

Let's go!

Let's go!

Frank!

Come on, Frank.

Let's get the hell out!

Frank!

Frank!

Frank!

Frank!

Hey, come back!

But on this joyous day,

one sobering question,

one haunting question remains.

Are they all back?

Still listed as missing in action

are 2,500 American men.

Are any of them

still being held prisoner?

For the families of those men,

the Vietnamese war will never be over

until that question is answered.

We're waiting

for the first P.O.W.

to emerge from the plane.

All of America waiting,

and in particular, his family is waiting.

We'll see these heroes

emerging momentarily.

We're waiting now for,

on this momentous day,

the end of the war officially fo rthem.

This day, March 7, 1973.

The first one coming off now!

He looks a little thin,

but considering what he's been through,

he looks very good from here.

He's approaching his family now.

We're waiting for others to come off.

There's the official reunion.

The war is over for him.

For other American families,

the agonizing will continue.

For other American families,

the agonizing will continue

until they find out

the fate of their missing sons.

[Thunder]

Daddy!

Daddy.

I'm scared.

Can I sleep with you tonight?

Colonel Rhodes, I sympathize, but...

I don't want your sympathy!

I want you to help me find my son.

But don't you understand?

There's nothing I can do.

There are 2,500 men

still unaccounted for.

There have been over 400 live sightings

of Americans held against their will.

There's nothing I can do.

That's all I ever heard in Washington.

Nobody can do anything.

That's why I came to Bangkok.

Look, you didn't hear this from me,

but there are a couple

of men here in Bangkok

who claim they've seen

American P.O.W.s in Laos.

I think my son's being

held prisoner in Laos,

but I need proof.

Get my son's signature

on the back of this picture.

Get my son's signature

on the back of that picture.

All right?

If I get your son's name here,

I want lots of money.

Yeah, O.K.

Hey, you.

[Speaking Thai]

O.K.

Hey!

Oh, boy. There's that old

Colonel M.I.A. again.

Hello, Colonel.

How are you?

Sorry we haven't got time today,

but give me a ring in my office.

Sorry.

Colonel Rhodes,

I can't help you with your son.

I'm trying to find food

for these new refugees.

Talk to that guy over there.

He'll help.

Thank you very much.

That your boy.

He prisoner in camp in Laos.

I smuggled the picture out.

I know my son's being held

somep lace in Northern Laos,

but I need to know exactly where.

I need a thorough recon of the area.

I need a thorough recon of the area.

I can go into Laos and North Vietnam.

I've got the connections.

But it'll take a lot of money

to find your son.

Don, hi!

How are you, Jason?

What do you have for me?

You know... ifthey

find out about this,

they'll retire me,

just like they retired you.

Yeah, yeah, O.K.

I suppose someone

could call this treason.

No. No, thanks.

It's a prison camp in Laos.

Look at the paddy dikes.

There's your proof, Jason.

There's your proof... 111.

Go get your boy.

O.K.

Now, where was I?

Hey, Blaster.

Tell us about that big wave.

I've told you guys

that story a thousand times.

I don't remember how I lied

the last time.

It doesn't matter.

It's still going to be bitchin'.

All right, all right.

The surf on the north shore

comes up real fast.

You're out there having fun,

and then it happens...

A life-threatening

experience.

And then?

This photograph was taken

somewhere close

to where Frank is being held.

I'm not saying Frank is one of them,

but those two are Americans.

They're much too tall to be Vietnamese.

Average Vietnamese man

is about 5'2-1 /2".

And that's supposed to be Frank?

That is Frank.

I bought too many fakes

over the last 10 years.

That definitely is Frank.

Been a P.O.W.

10 years in that sh*t hole?

Frank is alive.

You got that?

My son is alive.

Take a look at that.

That's a high altitude photograph

taken from a SR-71.

Look closely.

Look at the paddy dikes.

The three lines there.

That's your old LRRP team designation...

First Battalion, 11 th Infantry.

Don't you see it?

Right here.

Yes.

That's three lines in the ground.

It could be anything.

You know it isn't though, don't you?

That's a message from my son.

You know that.

Hello.

Hi.

Mrs. Wilkes?

Yeah, that's right.

I'm Jason Rhodes.

I phoned this morning.

Yeah, I know who you are.

Listen, my husband doesn't

want to talk to you.

I phoned him this morning,

and he said he did.

Not anymore.

Why don't you do me a favor and go away?

Not until I see your husband.

You've got no right to be here.

It's taken me 10 years

to get that god damned war

out of his head.

Looks to me like it's still in his head.

Ohh...

that's very deep.

Where were you all the days

he spent staring at the walls?

Hey, Wilkes!

Goddamn you!

Why did you send your wife out here?

Don't you have the guts to come out?

Leave him alone!

My son needs you!

At least look at our photographs.

Wilkesy.

I'll handle this now.

I don't like your tactics.

But I'll listen because of Frank.

O.K.

Blaster.

Wilkesy.

Why didn't you stay in touch?

Why didn't you?

I don't know.

It's weird, ain't it?

How did they find you?

I don't know.

Came looking and found me.

Then we found you.

Thanks a lot, Blast.

It's good to see you, man.

There are compounds

all over Northern Laos.

There are choppers we left behind.

We'll use them to get

into the P.O.W. camp.

They're used all the time,

so they should be well maintained.

Excuse me, please.

You going out?

Mm-hmm.

Early, isn't it?

I want to make happy hour.

Want to come along?

No. I think

I'll stay home tonight.

No kidding.

What's that mean?

It means, no kidding.

I don't feel like going out.

He never feels like doing anything.

That's not true.

Every night it's the same.

He listens to that crap.

That crap happens to be George Gershwin.

It's like I'm not even here.

He's like a turtle hiding in his shell.

He hasn't taken off

those sunglasses in six years.

He hasn't taken off

those sunglasses in six years.

I've given up trying to figure him out.

Maybe you should take him

back to Vietnam.

He doesn't give a damn

about anything here.

It was nice meeting you, Colonel.

Nice meeting you.

If he did go,

how much would he be paid?

Nothing in dollars.

I haven't flown a helicopter in a while.

I'd probably get somebody killed.

There's unfinished business

over there, MajorJohnson.

Not mine.

Is this the Distinguished Flying Cross?

Yeah.

How'd you get that?

Ah... pulling a cub pilot

out of Laos.

Must have been more to it than that.

Not really.

Tell me about it.

I'd like to hear it.

I got him out

after a lot of good people

went down trying.

It was a hell ofa day.

We'd already lost

a good man named Hendricks,

couple of F-4jocks,

even Sandy Low Lead.

Lost a lot of good friends.

How many?

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